


Rending and Mending

by FuniFuni



Series: Ghira's Emotional Adventures [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Banter, Blood, Can be read as Ghira/Link if you squint, Demise Sucks as a Master, Fluff, Gen, Hair Brushing, Heavy topics, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Minor Violence, Post-Game, Strangulation, Temper Tantrums
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuniFuni/pseuds/FuniFuni
Summary: While on a quest after the fall of Demise, Link runs into an old foe with hopes of changing him for the better.
Relationships: Ghirahim & Link (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Ghira's Emotional Adventures [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965196
Comments: 9
Kudos: 46





	Rending and Mending

Link didn't know how to feel. He had just returned Fi back to her pedestal and kept Zelda from having her soul taken, both of which already contrasting moments with equally contrasting feelings attached to them. Fi was gone, he should've been sad. Zelda was saved, he should've been happy. And of course he did feel those emotions, but there was one other moment, one other emotion, that split his mentality up even further than it was. His final fight with Demise, and subsequently, with Ghirahim.

To stop the return of Demise, that was Link's purpose as the Goddess's Hero, and to rescue Zelda from the Surface, that was his purpose as a loyal friend. But Link wished he could've done more for one person in particular, for Ghirahim, who just wanted to bring his master back from exile; who, you could loosely say, single-handedly trained Link to be better than he was, by sending monsters after him, making the hero think of other ways around obstacles, and even fighting him himself, purposefully not killing him, even if it was for the sole reason that Ghirahim just wanted someone stronger to fight with and entertain him. The demon lord had done so much for Link not even knowing it, and Link...did nothing to repay that. Of course the demon lord did some really bad stuff and it wasn't as though Link was going to let him off the hook for that, it was just that maybe, just maybe, if he had helped Ghirahim before he had been consumed by his own madness and desperation, he could've helped him atone for all the wrongs he did.

But instead Link had watched, caught up in his fear and adrenaline, as the fiery giant that was Demise forced his loyal servant to be his blade, to be the weapon that would be drenched in the blood of the skychild Ghirahim took mercy on. Yet that never happened. Link had slain Demise, sword piercing the crisscross scars on his forehead, and as Demise had uttered his final words, the sword that held Ghirahim vanished into nothingness.

Guilt squeezed Link's heart whenever he remembered the broken sound of Ghirahim's laughter as Demise's sword was ripped from his core. How faithful, pained, and delusional it sounded. How he could not stop it.

Despite how the demon lord had tried to kill him multiple times, Link believed there to be some of Ghirahim that wasn't completely evil. Parts of him worthy enough to save. But Link couldn't. He had been too naive. He was _still_ naive. And now he had to live with that. The fact that his foolishness had made the world lose a life.

"Link!" A voice shouted.

The aforementioned hero jumped at the unexpected call of his name. Glancing up, Link found that it was none other than Zelda who called him. Link must've dozed off in his thoughts; he didn't hear her coming.

"Ah. Hello, Zelda," he said, turning to face her from where he sat on the diving platform near the waterfall, legs dangling over the edge.

"I can't believe you just noticed me now," she replied. "I've been trying to get your attention for nearly five minutes!"

"Sorry," he gave an embarrassed chuckle, "I got lost in thought."

"I couldn't tell." Zelda's tone was amused, albeit sarcastic, as a slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She sat down next to him, dress fluttering in the breeze.

"So what were you thinking about?" she asked. She had seemed to take up the role as Link's therapist after their adventure ended. He couldn't say he didn't appreciate it; it was nice to be cared for, a nice break from the chaos that was the last few months. And he couldn't deny that he had a few problems to work through after his harrowing journey.

"Him again," Link replied, staring off down into the deep expanse of clouds below them.

Zelda sighed. "I know you feel guilty, but these thoughts are unhealthy for you. You already had to deal with so much, now is the time to have fun and enjoy yourself! Not, you know..." She bumped the heel of her foot against the underside of the platform. "Sulk here on this too old hunk of wood over creepy clowns." That got a chuckle out of the hero; Ghirahim _was_ pretty much a creepy clown, and the diving platform really was as old as Zelda said it was. Hadn't been replaced in almost three decades, so long that Link could see holes in the railings from where bugs ate at the wood.

"Yeah," Link agreed. "That does sound depressing, even to me."

"See!" Zelda exclaimed. "Now get your butt off this dirty platform and come join me and Father on our shopping trip!"

"Shopping trip..?" Link questioned, but Zelda either ignored or didn't hear him, for she didn't answer but instead grabbed his arm with a shocking amount of strength and proceeded to drag him through Skyloft to wherever they were going.

"Zelda!" the hero called as they ran. "Zelda!"

"What!" she called back.

"What's this about a shopping trip and where the heck are we going!"

"To the Surface! They have shops now!"

Link meant to then ask her when in the Goddess's name did that happen, but was quickly dragged around a corner and stopped so fast, the words couldn't come out of his mouth in time. Before he knew it, he was sprawled out on the ground near the Light Tower platform. Which hurt. A lot.

"Oww..." he groaned, getting to his knees and rubbing his shoulder which took the brunt of the fall.

"You shouldn't be so rough on him, Zelda," Link heard Gaepora's voice say from behind him, chuckling a bit. "He may not be able to take all of your playing. He's not as young as he used to be, you know."

"It's only been 8 months!" Link exclaimed. "I'm not old!"

"8 months can do wonders for the brain and body, you know," the headmaster replied, chuckling fondly.

There was truth in Gaepora's statement. Everybody saw how much Link had changed after his journey. His mind had seemingly aged years in the span of months and his body filled out with lean muscle which was a drastic change from the scrawny boy he used to be. But the hero was still playful at heart, even with all of his newfound knowledge and fair share of traumatic experiences, he still found ways to make himself happy.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But still! I'm not old!"

Zelda giggled at Link's pout that he formed sometime during the conversation.

Gaepora backed down from his teasing and instead turned his attention towards the sea of clouds beyond the diving platform and the green pillar of light bursting out from within. Even though the cloud barrier posed no problem anymore, the light pillars still stayed, making sure the battle fought was never forgotten.

"I hear you will be joining us on our shopping trip today, Link? If so, I suggest we get a move on before it gets dark."

"Right." Link gave a nod and got up off the ground, brushing off dirt from his pants.

The three then proceeded to mount their Loftwings, Link and Zelda calling them from the air after diving from the platform while Gaepora called his bird to the ground so that his weary bones would not ache later on. He knew that Zelda was sure to drag him all over; he wished to have as much energy as possible for the day ahead.

Link and Zelda performed small tricks with their birds every so often on their way, laughing and smiling all the while and Gaepora had to let his own smile spread across his lips. One of his favorite things was to see his daughter and the boy he thought of as a son happy without a care in the world. He had missed it when Link and Zelda were busy on the Surface.

But sure enough, even with all the fooling around the two did, they made it down to Faron Woods with lots of time to spare; the sun was barely reaching the center of the sky.

And just like Zelda said, shops had appeared, seemingly popping out of nowhere along with a small village. They sold all sorts of things, and Link found it as a shock to see many different races selling their wares. He saw Kikwi, Gorons, repaired Ancient Robots from Lanayru, and Mogmas, along with citizens from Skyloft. It was truly a diverse array of both people and the objects being sold.

As soon as their feet were on the ground, Zelda grabbed Link's wrist and dragged him to a stall nearby that interested her, talking excitedly all the while. He tripped multiple times on the way there, but she didn't seem to notice, too wrapped up in her enthusiasm.

"I heard from Father that they're making me a house down here! Isn't that exciting? I'll be living on the Surface!"

"Aww, but what'll I do without you?" Link teased. "It's not like I can take care of myself or anything. Who will make me lunch when I'm too lazy to do it myself?"

"Oh, hush, you. You'll be fine. You somehow survived without me _in the wild_ for almost a year, I think you can live without me for a couple days. I'll make sure to visit."

Zelda began to skim through the differently shaped figurines a Mogma was selling. They were made of a smooth, dark material. Most likely something molten. She decided on one in the shape of a Volcanic Ladybug. Handing over the rupees for the item, she added, "Plus, I think you'll follow me soon with a house down here on the Surface. I hear they need help weeding out all the remaining Bokoblins in the Deep Woods."

Once the figurine was tucked safely in one of Zelda's pouches, they were on their way to another stall when Link heard the soft distraught murmurings of a woman nearby. Tugging Zelda's sleeve to get her attention, Link gestured towards the woman, who was wringing her hands worriedly. The pair approached her.

"What's wrong, miss?" Link asked.

Noticing them, the lady looked up.

"Oh, dear! I hate to ask you this, but you look like you can help," she said.

"Help with what? I might be able to lend a hand."

"I lost my bracelet in Faron on my way to the Deep Woods. I heard there was a pretty building there and I wanted to sketch it. I got chased out by bees before I could get there, though; I'm deathly allergic, you see. That must've been when I lost my bracelet." She started wringing her hands again, looking down at her feet. "You can refuse, of course. But it's a memento of my late grandmother. I hate being parted from it..."

Link felt his heart reach out to her. It must be tough losing something dear to her, not knowing if she'd ever get it back. "It's okay, I can go get it. It might be a bit of a long wait, but I will gladly go find your missing item, miss," he replied.

Link sent an apologetic look towards Zelda. He really didn't want to miss this shopping trip; he and Zelda weren't getting much time to spend together between his continued knight training and Zelda's goddess duties. But he helped the people. That was basically his job now, and he didn't mind. Zelda said that he was too kind for his own good, that he was going to get tricked one day and maybe that was true, but it didn't feel right to refuse someone in distress.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" The lady rejoiced.

After garnering the information of what the bracelet looked like and where she thought she lost it, Link and Zelda parted from the lady and were heading back to find Gaepora to tell him of the turn of events. It was convenient that Link had chosen to wear his knight garb today, for having to change clothes in the middle of a quest was annoying. He originally wore it for training with Commander Eagus and then just decided he was too lazy to change. He forewent the cap, however.

"This is a shame; I was looking forward to shopping with you again..." Zelda pouted.

"Yeah. But we can do it another day. It'll just keep getting bigger, and there'll be more stuff we can browse and a larger portion of our day to do so," Link supplied.

"I guess you're right...and at least that lady'll be happy again. It was upsetting to see her so unhappy."

"Did you just admit that I was right~?"

"I know, so shocking. Since when did you get smart?"

"Hey!"

They started laughing.

"Just...be careful," Zelda told him once their laughter died down.

Link smiled, touched that she cared. "Of course. When am I not?"

"I don't think you want me to answer that."

"No, I suppose not."

It was then that they found Gaepora, looking over an array of pocket-watches at another stall.

"Father!" Zelda called out, running towards the man in question, leaving Link trailing behind.

"Ah, Zelda. I did not expect you to be back so soon. Bored already?" He replied, turning his attention towards the two teenagers coming towards him.

"No, Link got a request to find a lost item from this lady while we were shopping."

"Oh. Does this mean you will be leaving us for the day, Link?" Gaepora turned to him as the hero came to a stop just behind where Zelda stood.

"Unfortunately, yeah. Gotta take a rain check."

"When will you be back?" Zelda asked.

"Probly around tomorrow morning, the afternoon at the latest," Link answered.

"Remember to be careful, Link," Gaepora said. "We don't want to have to patch you up because of some foolish mistake again."

"Why does nobody think I can take care of myself?!" Link exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "That was one time! _One time!"_

The other two chuckled at his display before Zelda started shooing him off. "Go! Go save the day, Sleepyhead!"

"I will!"

And with that, conversation ended and Link began to make his way to the entrance that the villagers made for Faron Woods. Before heading in, though, he grabbed a sword from a small blacksmithery on the promise that he would return it the following day. He cursed himself for not remembering to bring his own sword with him.

Leaves crunched under his boots as he progressed deeper into Faron, the forest that had become almost as familiar to him as Skyloft. Birds chirped above him as if welcoming him back.

He checked every nook and cranny he knew of to find the lost bracelet, and even found some new hidden spots he hadn't known existed before this. And yet the sun dipped below the treeline, casting the forest in the eerie shadows of dusk and he still hadn't found it. Link had checked the area where the woman said the bracelet was most likely to be along with everywhere around it and the way he came from.

Link was starting to get a little frustrated. Sure, he saw this coming, but it didn't mean that he _wanted_ to wander around, searching blindly for a bracelet at night. And if he got attacked by some stray monsters, that would make his night ten times worse, for sure.

He decided to keep going further into the woods in the hopes that he would find the bracelet sooner rather than later and he could leave, sleep in his own bed instead of being forced to spend a night sleeping on the ground or in a tree. He'd had enough of that in the past months, thank you very much.

Crickets replaced the birds as dusk turned to night and Link was navigating nearly blind if not for the stray moonbeam that lit up his path. Dear Goddesses, he hated this.

 _This'll all be worth it, though,_ he thought, _when I see the smile on that woman's face. It's always worth it, no matter the_ _ **HELL-**_ Link ripped his tunic back from the unforgiving grasp of a pricker bush - _I have to go through._

The hero was in the middle of cursing out that Goddess-damned pricker bush when he stumbled upon a small pond in the middle of a clearing that he had never seen before. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw.

Many things stood out about this scenic picture; its glimmering pond, the way the moonlight reflected off the water, the pair of perfectly unmarked, natural looking rocks at the bank nearest Link, and of course, the thing that stood out most...Ghirahim, the foe Link thought dead.

But no! He was not dead, in fact, he was very much alive, ranting to himself too quickly for the blonde to decipher much of what he was saying, only catching a few words here and there.

The demon lord's usual elegance and smugness were noticeably absent, instead, he seemed to be having a fit of rage akin to a child's temper tantrum. His cape was noticeably absent; and previously stark white bodysuit smudged with dirt. His hair was mussed, something Link had never seen and never thought he would see on Ghirahim on account of the fact that to the demon lord, his looks were everything; not a hair out of place, outfit impeccable, makeup going unsmudged. Always perfect. But not today, not right now.

Link watched, holding his breath, as Ghirahim landed a hard punch to a nearby tree, a dent marring its bark and split knuckles tainting the once smooth skin of his hand. A growl escaped clenched teeth as the sword spirit inspected his injured fingers before kicking a large rock nearby that got launched somewhere deep into the forest if the resounding thud was any indicate.

Ghirahim then went into another tangent, this time instead of punching trees and kicking rocks, he paced quickly while his long fingers tangled in his hair and began tugging. Link noticed that the demon lord's gloves were strangely missing.

Link thought he heard his name somewhere in the jumble of words being spewed out into the air, but he couldn't be sure and didn't intend on sticking around long enough to find out. Last thing he wanted at this point was to have to fight an angry Ghirahim.

Moving was a mistake, however, for as soon as Link shifted to sneak away, a shadow-hidden twig snapped under his feet, giving away his presence. The hero watched with growing dread as the demon lord's head snapped towards him, words dying on his tongue, leaving them in silence.

That is, until Ghirahim started laughing uncontrollably as his hands came down from his hair to cover his face. Of course the pesky hero had to appear; just his luck. When the appendages were gone, though, so was the laughter, a sneer forming on his pale lips as a replacement.

"Skychild," he muttered with disdain, clenching his hands at his side.

That was the only warning the blonde got before Ghirahim snapped his fingers and he reappeared way too close and way too fast for Link to get out of the way or even flee. He soon found himself on the ground with his not-dead foe straddling him, the same fingers that were tugging harshly at his hair mere moments ago now tightened around the hero's throat.

The demon started screaming, voice being the only sound aside from Link's gasping breaths in the night air.

"Dead! All your fault! There's no purpose anymore! You ruined it!"

He understood nothing of what Ghirahim was yelling at him, possibly trying to get a point across to him, but he could sense that if this continued any further, he'd end up injured some way or another. He figured this was the time to initiate self-defense measures as he zoned out on the repeated phrases the demon lord kept screaming at him.

Link reached behind him for his sword in an effort to get Ghirahim to stop choking him and preferably many feet away, but before he could, the demon lord had freed two of his fingers from the web they had made around his neck and snapped them, making his sword vanish into some unknown location before Link could grab it.

_Well, guess I'm not returning that sword..._

Luckily for Link, it seemed as though Ghirahim was weaker than all the times prior they had gone against each other, his hold on his throat tight and uncomfortable, but he could still draw in short breaths and no bones felt like they would break under the pale fingers.

He could do this; he could turn this encounter around.

Taking as deep of a breath as he could with his trachea being compressed, Link shot his hands up that were previously trying to pry the demon's fingers loose and grabbed onto his forearms, twisting his body to flip them so that Ghirahim was the one being pinned. The surprise of the turn of events, and quite possibly the sensation of his head being slammed into the ground, caused his hands to loosen enough for Link to wrench them off his neck and restrain them on either side of Ghirahim's head.

The hero shot a glare down at his adversary while he gasped down air, trying to regain his breath, not expecting the disgusted look he received to accompany trails of tears that made the purple eyeshadow under his eyes run as he resolutely scowled into the trees to his right, not looking at the blonde as if doing so would make him the loser of some sort of bet they had somehow made during their short fight.

Ghirahim's lithe body squirmed under Link, trying to shake him loose as his feet tried to gain enough purchase on the dirt to sit up. Neither of which paid off, however. Link had gained quite a bit of muscle from his time on the Surface along with the daily training he kept up on Skyloft and easily immobilized the taller man by shifting his center of balance until the blonde was practically sitting on Ghirahim with his full weight. A fierce grip on his fingers and wrist made sure that the demon could not snap to teleport, nor lash out at Link.

"Release me," he growled lowly after a moment of uncomfortable silence, still staring watery yet menacing daggers at the forest.

"Sorry; can't do that," Link replied, little coughs scattered throughout the simple sentence.

Ghirahim clicked his tongue.

The hero of the skies took this moment as an invitation to ask all the questions that kept bubbling up inside of him throughout the last few months, since the man had started becoming more and more unstable, that he thought he would receive no answer to. _Looks like it's my lucky day,_ Link thought, not quite bitter, but not quite pleased either.

"Where were you? How did you survive? Why are you back? If you've come to take Zelda again, I don't care who or what you are, even if you've changed-" Link allowed the demon the benefit of the doubt. "-I will still stop you and it won't be pretty."

"Like it was pretty the first time..." Ghirahim mumbled, avoiding all the questions the blonde had asked as though he had never heard them in the first place.

He probably expected Link to not catch the line, but he did, ears trained to detect even the slightest noise of an approaching enemy. When he responded, the demon's eyes widened marginally before narrowing back to how they were, still not looking at the younger.

"I didn't _want_ to hurt you," Link started. "I didn't want to hurt anybody! But you took Zelda and were about to resurrect an evil that killed hundreds, thousands, and turned the Surface into a living Hell! I couldn't let that pass by. And the only way you were going to stop was if I made you."

A grim chuckle. "You got that right, Skychild," Ghirahim spat. His tears had seemed to stop, leaving him a limp mess or that's what Link thought before he struggled once more, this time considerably weaker. He sighed after a few seconds of doing the action with no results and stopped, finally directing his chocolate brown gaze upwards to meet with sea blue.

"I'm not going to answer anything if you keep me pinned like an insect under inspection."

"And what will you have me do? Release you? 'Cause in my mind, that just turns into you trying to kill me all over again." Link raised a brow in question.

"Silly Skychild, I may not admit it most of the time, but I know when I'm outmatched in a fight. I'm not going to attack you, even though I want nothing more right now."

The demon lord sounded genuine, or at least as genuine as he could sound with that ever-present arrogance in his voice. But despite that, Link still felt hesitant. This was _Ghirahim_ they were talking about; causing chaos was pretty much all he ever did! Why would now be any different?

"You swear?" He decided to take a risk. Ghirahim _was_ a lot weaker than before, so worst come to worst, Link would just have to get him back under wraps and keep him like that.

"I give you my word that if you release me, I will not attack you and shall answer any questions you may have. But _only_ if you do not attack me either." The demon gave the hero an indecipherable look that Link chose to ignore in favor of nodding in agreement to the deal, slowly releasing Ghirahim's hands and taking his weight off the slender frame of the other and moving into a standing position. He extended a calloused hand to the sword spirit in an offer to help him up, surprised when Ghirahim took it with his own dirty one.

As soon as he was on his feet once more, the demon lord headed towards the pair of rocks near the pond, not sparing Link a single glance as he passed. The blonde followed dumbly.

Sitting upon the rocks, the silence between the two did not last long before Ghirahim asked, "First question you wish to ask?"

Link took a moment to choose between all the questions going around in his brain for the one which was the most important. He finally decided after a few "thinking kicks" to the still water in front of him, causing ripples to deform his reflection.

"How did you survive that final fight?" His voice was quite a lot calmer, more contemplative, as he asked.

"Magic," was the one word reply he got. He felt his eyelid twitch.

"That's not an answer, Ghirahim."

"Sure it is, Skychild. I used magic to live through that. That is technically an answer to your question. You didn't say I had to add details into my answers." He shook his head, seemingly disappointed in Link's inability to discover and thwart loopholes in his deals.

"Tell me then; what _kind_ of magic did you use to survive?"

"My own."

" _Ghirahim..."_ Link ground his teeth together in frustration. What did he expect, though? For Ghirahim to just go along pliantly? Ha, yeah right, this was the man that had just tried to strangle the blonde mere minutes ago. He was going to be a stubborn ass for as long as he could. "Stop being so stubborn and just answer my questions!"

"And what will that get me?" The demon was nonchalantly inspecting his nails, as though this conversation didn't matter, and to be honest, it probably didn't to him.

"It'll mean that I'll leave quicker and you can go back to your temper tantrum." That got a rise out of him.

Ghirahim shot a glare at the hero, pausing his nail inspections, lips forming a frown before shifting quickly to a smirk.

"Aww, but it's fun to watch you get all riled up."

It was Link's turn to glare as he decided to ignore the urge to yell at the snowy-haired demon and instead ask a different question in hopes that the other would actually answer this time, although chances were slim.

"Why are you back? What's your purpose for being here?"

Something dark entered the demon's eyes, nails digging into his palms, and scowling down at his reflection in the water. There was no more playfulness or mocking tones in his voice when he next spoke, only warning.

"Leave, Skychild. I will not entertain your company any longer."

"No. We made a deal and you need to answer my questions. And for all I know, you may try to attack the people moving down here; I can't have that."

"Oh, _sooo_ heroic. I said leave, brat!" The venom in Ghirahim's voice sent chills down Link's spine, but he held his ground. He was going to get his answers.

A slight spark of sympathy created a pressure in his heart. Link could tell that the demon was struggling with something. He saw it way too often with his friends and acquaintances on Skyloft, when they would confide in him their worries when it seemed like nobody else cared. They needed help, and so did Ghirahim, even if the latter was trying to cover it up with Ghirahim-typical violence. Link just didn't know why yet, but he was determined to find out. Maybe...just maybe, along with his answers, Link could help him and keep everyone safe as well.

"I'm not leaving," he said, refusing to budge. He was set in his decision, no matter how chaotic it made things.

The demon launched up from his seated position, turning sharply towards the hero, who had startled back at the unexpected action.

"LEAVE! Or you _will_ regret it!" Ghirahim barked. His nails bit into his palms, drawing blood to surface. He barely felt the pain in his rage.

"Well come on then," Link spread his arms out wide, inviting the taller man to try. "Make me regret it, 'cause I'm not going anywhere." He hoped that he hadn't made some sort of fatal mistake by saying that, but he'd gone through a whole lot worse, what was a few more scratches?

Something about the Skychild's words made Ghirahim's chest ache, as if a rock had replaced his heart and it was now weighing down on his lungs, causing his breath to cease for a moment. But the demon shook it off, _such_ _emotions are for the weak,_ and whirled around, breaking eye contact with the blonde. He threw a dagger halfheartedly behind him at Link, but it missed, unsurprisingly.

"I thought you were going to make me regret it?" Link had no fear in his voice nor his heart. The action that would be made out as a threat by others only served the means to confirm what Link was already thinking: Ghirahim did not want to hurt him. Link knew from previous battles with the other that the demon was strong and would not let anything stand in his way. Even weakened, he would still attempt and probably almost succeed at killing Link if he truly wanted to. One measly dagger not even aimed at the hero wasn't going to kill, no matter how much rage was behind it.

" _Please,_ Ghirahim, just tell me," Link's voice took a calmer tone, similar to that of a person soothing a cornered animal. "I can help you." That was obviously the wrong thing to say, however, as Link would find out.

"Help me? _Help_ me?!" The spirit whirled back around with even more rage than Link had seen yet, reinitiating the previously lost eye contact with a burning glare. "You think you have the right to _help_ me? You caused all this! You cannot help me!"

"Wha-" Link began.

"NO! YOU SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO _IDEA_ WHAT I HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING _YOU_ DID!" Ghirahim started pacing, hands moving wildly.

Link decided to do as he was told and not say anything. The demon was sharing unprovoked (okay, maybe a bit provoked, but it was for the best, surely) and _really_ angry. The hero wasn't so stupid as to draw attention to himself and possibly get severely injured. He'd just let things run its course and hope for the best.

"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED MY MASTER! WHY? BECAUSE YOU WANTED THAT STUPID GIRL BACK!" His words decreased in volume, but were no less angry. "What has _she_ ever done for the good of the Surface? For the good of its inhabitants? Nothing! She has done nothing!" One of his fists that had just started to scab over came in contact with a nearby tree, reopening the cuts. Ghirahim didn't seem to care, punching the tree over and over. Link flinched at the display, wanting to stop it, but the air held a sort of heaviness to it that kept him from moving. The sword spirit looked to have forgotten he was even there, caught up in the whirlpool of loathing and fury he was in before Link arrived and he could only hope that Ghirahim would burn out soon so that they could actually talk without the risk of injury for either party.

Soon the demon ceased his assault on the tree and resumed pacing, kicking at rocks and stomping his feet every so often as his rant started up again.

"All Hylia has done is protect her own creations! Everyone else is fair game, of course! Moved them up above the clouds to escape the _baaaad demons_. She just saw her creatures as prized pets, and the demons and everything else with claw or fang as the predators, hell-bent on ruining her collection! GRAH! I HATE HER! HATEHERHATEHERHATEHATEHATE-"

He fell to his knees, hands coming up to tug at pale hair, nails dug into the skin of his temples, and before Link had even realized what was happening, Ghirahim had ripped his diamond shaped earring out from its place in his ear, through the delicate flesh, creating a soft _ploosh!_ as the accessory was thrown harshly into the pond.

 _Okay, this has gone far enough_ , Link thought as he rushed towards the fallen demon. He was muttering something too low and fast for the blonde to make out, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered to Link was getting Ghirahim calmed down and patched up. He wouldn't allow the other to hurt himself like that.

Within moments, the hero had the demon wrapped up in a hug, with the taller's arms pinned against his sides. It was the first thing that came to mind from Link being so used to holding Zelda while she sought comfort away from her stressful tasks, wanting a chance away from prying eyes to mourn Impa. It had always calmed her down, slowed her tears, and with Ghirahim in front of him, struggling from his own stress and demons, Link no longer cared about the fact that they were once enemies, that just mere moments ago, the spirit had tried to kill him, that he was _dangerous._ He was sad, and broken, and needed help. And Link might've been the only person on the Surface and Skyloft who was willing to help him. Finally, he could set things right.

His hands went in soothing circles as Ghirahim buried his face in Link's shoulder, his body shaking with soft sobs. He no longer cared either. All he wanted was for somebody to understand. The loneliness and bitterness had been steadily building until he could no longer contain it, lashing out at everything he could get his hands on until he finally crashed. Who would've thought it would be the Skychild here comforting him? He let out a pathetic, wet chuckle.

Eventually, Ghirahim's tears had slowed and his breathing went back to normal, but his face didn't move from its place on Link's shoulder. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.

"Why...?"

"'Why' what?" Link replied, not stopping his ministrations on the demon's back.

"Why...why are you doing this?" He sounded so tired, as though he was about to pass out at any moment and from everything that just happened, Link didn't blame him.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I tried to kill you, imbecile, that's why...!"

"But you didn't," the blonde said, shrugging the shoulder that didn't have the demon's head on it.

"But I could've!" Ghirahim pulled back just enough to see Link's face. He wasn't as surprised as he should've been when he saw no fear in his expression.

"But you didn't," the hero replied firmly. His eyes were filled with determination and the sword spirit knew he wasn't going to win this little argument.

He rested his head back on the Skychild's shoulder with a sigh, huffing out a soft, "...fine." He lost the fight, no use meaninglessly continuing it and screwing himself over by chasing Link away. He hated himself for sinking deeper into the blonde's hold, but he couldn't stop himself. Something about feeling another person's warmth, their kindness, their understanding, made Ghirahim feel as though he was here not just to serve Demise. The heaviness he had been feeling for so long...it was finally starting to dissipate.

"Glad you came to see reason," Link jested.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," the demon quipped back, no venom coating his words.

They sat in silence for awhile, maybe minutes, maybe hours; it all started bleeding together. The silence wasn't awkward, nor was it tense, but rather comfortable as the two came to terms that this was happening and neither really hated it. But eventually, Link spoke again, the quiet tone of his voice rumbling in Ghirahim's ears.

"Will you tell me what happened? After the fight?"

A sigh left the older's lips as he twisted blades of grass that were behind Link's back. The blonde had long since adjusted their position to release Ghirahim's arms.

"Do you really want to know, Skychild?" he replied after a few moments of silence.

"Yes. I do."

"You wanted to know how I survived, yes?" the demon didn't even wait for a reply before continuing. "Well, I realized that I didn't want to die, even if it meant betraying my master. You wouldn't let me escape and I didn't feel I would be welcome even if you somehow convinced me to stay. So when I felt the battle stop...I used up the remainder of my energy to teleport somewhere deep within Faron. So deep, I don't think even your extensive map has it drawn down."

"Why are you here? By this town?" Link asked. He would address some of the deeper undertones of Ghirahim's previous answer later.

The sword spirit's brow furrowed. "I did not know of the existence of this town. I just...chose a direction and headed there."

So Ghirahim didn't have any motivation to harm the townspeople like Link had initially thought. The hero of the skies felt kind of guilty because of this new piece of information. He had assumed the worse of the other just from past experiences, not even stopping to wonder if life without Demise had changed him. It appeared it had. For better or worse, Link still had to find out. He wanted to believe Ghirahim was better, that in time, perhaps the two could be friends. But he could not confirm that hope, instead keeping on guard, just in case.

Link opened his mouth, wanting to ask some (possibly more dangerous) questions about Demise, when he caught a glimpse of dirty scraped hands as they moved to his sides to pick at the blades of grass there. Closing his mouth, he felt upset for not remembering the demon's wounds during their talk. He got swept aside by the adrenaline and Ghirahim might get infected wounds because Link waited too long to clean them. It was true that he still had healing potions back in Skyloft that he could use, but the taller of the two must be in pain. Especially his ear.

"Skychild," Ghirahim said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something?" Link must've zoned out.

"No, but you looked like _you_ were going to."

Oh, right, the blonde _was_ going to say something. But now wasn't the time.

The hero gave a small smile, slowly getting to his feet, pulling Ghirahim up with him. When standing, he was greeted to a foot full of numbness and pins and needles. How both could be pulled off at the same time was still a mystery. He shook it out, trying to get the feeling back in it, as he replied to Ghirahim.

"Yeah, I was, but it can wait. Let's get you patched up, yeah? Your wounds must hurt."

In all actuality, the demon had forgotten all about his pain. Injured spots just seemed as though they were disconnected from his body. But now that the boy had said something, small, sharp spikes of pain assaulted the marred areas. Ghirahim winced.

"I'm all for that, but how do you suppose you'll 'patch me up?' I don't believe you have any supplies hidden in that horrid outfit of yours."

"Hey!" Link squawked.

Ghirahim gave a casual shrug. "Sorry, not sorry. I don't like green. Also that hat definitely was ugly. I'm glad you decided to leave it behind. Preferably in a ditch."

"Well, it's _not_ in a ditch somewhere; it's in my room. And you'll be going there soon, so you better get used to it."

The older party gave a smirk. "Ooh~. Why, Skychild...! How forward of you~. We haven't even gone on our first date yet!"

Link pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh. "You know, I was going to invite you to Skyloft so I could _heal you_ , but now I'm thinking I shouldn't." It was his turn to act aloof. "It's obvious you wouldn't appreciate it anyway."

The demon delved into baby talk and Link felt his eyelid twitch. "Aww, did I hwurt your feewings?"

Not even bothering to reply, Link just whistled for his Loftwing, glad that he didn't have to go to a bird statue to do so anymore.

"What was that?" Ghirahim asked.

"You're coming with me to Skyloft and there's nothing you can do about it."

The spirit tilted his head in question. "But why would you want to bring me to your home? Aren't you scared I might hurt someone you love?"

Link shook his head. "You won't."

"How can you be so sure?" At just that moment, the blonde's Crimson Loftwing stuck its landing in a ruffle of feathers, squawking cheerfully at the sight of its master.

Link grabbed Ghirahim's arm, guiding him to the Loftwing.

"I just am. Now get on the damn bird."

"Yes, yes, I'm going, I'm going." The demon gave a roll of his eyes before climbing, somewhat awkwardly, onto the Loftwing's back, Link getting in front of him (with far more grace and confidence) as soon as he was settled.

"Hold on," the hero told his passenger.

The bird lurched underneath them as it shifted and Ghirahim quickly threw his arms around Link's waist, not wanting to be tossed off in midair. He took advantage of the situation to press himself flush against Link's back. The blonde was really warm.

"Ready," the demon murmured.

A shiver went down Link's spine as he felt Ghirahim's breath on his ear. All his instincts told him to push the other away before he was attacked, but he ignored them. The sword spirit wasn't going to hurt him. Everything was fine.

He grabbed the reins a little tighter and gave a light tap with his foot on the side of his Loftwing to tell it that they were ready. It took off immediately, well adjusted to this routine.

Soon they were in the air and were greeted by the breathtaking sight of the night sky above the clouds. No matter how much Ghirahim had traveled the Surface, he had never seen such a sight. Looking at the sky when he was looking for the Spirit Maiden never really happened; he was too busy. But now that all of that was over, he finally got to see it. The stars almost rivaled his own diamonds' beauty in the stunning shade of his hair, moon hovering above them in the same shade. The cool wind was nice against his flushed face.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Link asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, it is. Not as pretty as me, though~." Ghirahim attempted a hairflip, but didn't account for the wind he was still unused to and it all went flying back into his face, sticking to his running makeup. He spat out some hair that made it into his mouth with an indignant grunt. Link's body was shaking under his hands and Ghirahim knew exactly why.

"Stop laughing!"

"Sorry...!" He wasn't sorry. In fact he just kept laughing louder.

The demon lord would have crossed his arms if he still wasn't slightly afraid of falling off, but his arms were preoccupied tethering him to the bird and its owner, so he just went with a displeased huff.

Finally, Link's laughter stopped. He wiped small tears from his eyes with a hand as he sighed, a smile still intact.

"That was great."

"No, it certainly was not, Skychild," Ghirahim replied.

"Yes it was."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

They continued on with that for awhile until the floating island of Skyloft came into sight and Link took that opportunity to escape from the "conversation", pointing at it and saying, with way too much enthusiasm, "Oh, look! We've reached Skyloft! Look at Skyloft, Ghirahim! So interesting!"

The demon in question gave a soft snort. "It's a rock. A rock that just so happens to have buildings and people on it. Whoop-dee-do, so exciting," he deadpanned.

"You'll love it."

"I won't love it at all if I do not have access to a hairbrush."

The Crimson Loftwing slowed to a stop, talons clicking on the stone of the plaza. It hunkered down to let its passengers off.

As soon as the two's feet were planted firmly on the ground, the bird took off once more into the night with a caw that seemed deafening against the still silence of Skyloft.

"Come on." Link beckoned Ghirahim to follow him as he headed in the direction of the Knight Academy.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, the sword spirit taking in his new surroundings as if someone would leap out from the trees or around the corner any second now. Who knew? They _might_. Maybe this was all just a trap designed to get rid of one of the most powerful monsters on the Surface. And yet, even if Ghirahim could believe it perfectly fine if he was in the company of anyone else, there was just something about the blonde that threw that whole theory out a window. Link was truly one of the simplest beings the demon had ever come across. He just wanted to do the right thing. He had his morals and stuck by them and wasn't hesitant to forgive the most unforgivable actions if given proof that the guilty party was better than when they did it. The boy wouldn't lead him here to his home just for a trap under the pretenses of help. It went against his whole character! It seemed at this point, Ghirahim had no choice but to put his trust in Link.

"Well?" the aforementioned hero asked, breaking the silence. He gave a flourish of his arm at their surroundings. "What do you think of Skyloft so far?"

No thought had to be put into the spirit's reply. "Quaint. Honestly, it's very boring and simple. You fit right in. Unlike that boy with the hideous hair. He'd be better suited living with the Bokoblins."

"Uhh...thanks?" Link didn't know how to take that, but it was true. Skyloft was a very boring and simple place. "You have a point with Groose's hair. It really does look bad. And is the exact shade of most Bokoblins, too, now that I think about it." He turned to Ghirahim with a smile. "You think they'd get along? I'd love to see how that would go down."

The corners of the demon's lips twitched up. "Quite possibly. They _are_ both low in intelligence."

They continued to talk about different scenarios that could happen if Groose and a Bokoblin met, ending on a discussion about the monsters' preferred choice of undergarment as they arrived and began to sneak through the halls of the Knight Academy, voices dimming down to a whisper.

"Does Groose also rabidly collect leopard-print undergarments?" Ghirahim asked. The question stemmed from him noticing the Bokoblins' strange underwear obsession that he still didn't know the reason for.

Link shuddered. Groose in his underwear, or even just the underwear itself, was an unpleasant image in his mind. He really didn't want to know.

"No clue, but I really hope not. Wouldn't be surprised about it, though."

They arrived at Link's room and Ghirahim immediately made himself at home, sitting on his bed with his elbows placed on his knees.

As the hero fetched supplies to clean the wounds on the other and a red potion he had stashed away in his desk, the lord continued their conversation.

"I kinda want to know. Do you suppose I can sneak in his room and find out?"

"No," Link replied quickly. "No breaking and entering."

"If his door is unlocked, it's only entering free roaming space. No breaking involved."

"The answer is still no. Don't leave here or I won't clean and heal your injuries." That was a pretty heavy statement coming from the blonde. But Ghirahim knew better. He wouldn't go through with it.

"You'd still do that even if I went."

"Yeah, I would."

The demon sighed. "You're too nice, Skychild." He fell back against the bed as Link rummaged through a few more drawers, eventually pulling out a bottle of water.

"I know. But sometimes, the world needs a little niceness."

Conversation tapered off as Link found the rest of the supplies he needed and came back to the bed.

The taller sat up wordlessly and held out his right hand for the blonde to clean first. It took the brunt of his anger. And just as wordlessly, Link took it and began cleaning it with one of his many damp rags.

Ghirahim was mesmerized by the hero's deft fingers, carefully tending and cleaning with no fumbles as if tending to wounds had become as simple and easy as breathing.

Link, in turn, was thinking about how to broach the topics he had in mind and which to tackle first. They both had their downsides, the biggest of which would be a defensive Ghirahim. The blonde didn't need their fragile trust to be broken already. But he couldn't just leave these thoughts unspoken either. That would cause its own fair share of problems. Link picked one at random and hoped for the best.

"Hey, Ghirahim," he started.

The sword spirit gave an acknowledging hum.

"Why...why did you hurt yourself back there..?"

Ghirahim's dark eyes widened in surprise before darting to the side. His mouth opened and closed a few times, words trapped in his throat. Link had never seen the demon lord speechless like this; it was odd.

After a time, words finally slipped past his lips, but they were quick and confused.

"I-I don't know..? A distraction, I suppose..?"

The blonde's brow furrowed. "A distraction? From what?"

Pale, dirty fingers tapped against Ghirahim's equally pale and dirty thigh. His lips pursed. Should he open up about this? He was very much tempted to keep it all locked up; you never expose your vulnerabilities in front of the enemy. But Link had already seen them and embraced those vulnerabilities. Link was no longer an enemy.

He sighed. "From life. From everything that happened. From my own emotions. I guess I was trying to regain control of something again. The pain gave me a goal. It cleared my mind and I thought if I hurt myself enough, I'd wear myself out eventually."

"But that didn't work out so well, did it?" Link asked softly, gently, already knowing the answer.

"No. It didn't. It just fueled my anger." A dry chuckle left his lips. "But of course you saw that first-hand."

"Yeah. And I hated it. Please, please! Never hurt yourself again!" Link's hands stilled on Ghirahim's, eyes burning with an unnamed emotion as the demon took up his full attention.

"I can't promise anything, Skychild..." he whispered. He wanted to promise, but he just couldn't. He knew that eventually he would break it. He didn't know why he cared so much about this boy. But he decided that he didn't need to know. He just did.

Link seemed to deflate, but his eyes still held the same fire.

"Yeah, I know. But you'll try, right? For me?"

Ghirahim's expression softened at his words. What was this boy and how did he have such an effect on him? He could've made a flirty joke quite easily, but he refrained. There was something special here and he didn't want to break it.

"Yeah. I'll try."

Link gave him a beaming smile and the demon basked in its glow for as long as he could until the smile faded and he could tell that Link was about to ask another heavy question. Ghirahim steeled himself.

"Demise...did he...he treated you pretty badly." Link didn't know how to bring up this topic and winced as he stumbled over his words.

The answer he got was straightforward. "But he didn't. He saved me, gave me a purpose."

Link pressed on. "But he punished you, didn't he? He hurt you and he shouldn't have."

Ghirahim didn't understand. Why was Link talking about this? He wasn't aware that it was a problem. Demise had only treated him as he should've been treated.

"I deserved the punishments. I disobeyed or failed him and I needed to learn a lesson."

The demon put the concept in such simple words that it almost sounded normal and Link hated how it really _was_ normal to Ghirahim.

"That's not how you treat someone. It's cruel and-and...I just don't like it!"

The sword spirit started to see the reasoning behind the hero's words. His master could get a little...intense and he never particularly enjoyed it. Even the most meaningless of mistakes would have some sort of painful consequence once Demise got his hands on his servant. He still remembered the time he was whipped for tripping in the company of guests. He had never questioned it before now. No one seemed to think it was wrong, except for this hero of the skies. Ghirahim was starting to think...maybe Link was right. But he still loved his master. Without Demise, he wouldn't have a life. He'd be dead already.

"Perhaps he was...cruel, and punishments could be a little drawn out of proportions at times, but he was my master and isn't that how masters are supposed to act towards their servants?" the demon asked. It was truly curious to see how this boy's mind worked.

Link shook his head, patience written all over his face. Ghirahim had seen that patience on his face only a few times before, when the demon had decided to watch the hero invisibly from a high up perch as Link worked through puzzles in order to progress in his quest, but it had never been directed towards him. He quite liked it.

"No, they're not. There's a lot of masters of sorts here on Skyloft, teachers, upperclassmen, owners of businesses. Sure, they're strict, but they always want the best of their underlings, never thinking of hurting them, only teaching them. Even I was a master to Fi, and we became friends, not just master and sword." Link barely had time to think before his next sentence came barreling out of his mouth. "Why don't I become your master? I can show you how you should've been treated instead of how you were."

Ghirahim had never expected Link to ask such a question. He assumed he would want him gone as soon as he finished tending to his wounds, but now he heard that Link wanted to become his new master? It was so out of nowhere that the demon had trouble believing it. But even so, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. There was nothing for him elsewhere, Demise was dead, and with him, his _purpose._ Life without a purpose was unimaginable to him, and here Link was, offering him one. A new master. A new purpose. But Link had _killed_ Demise. He's the whole reason Ghirahim didn't have a purpose in the first place. What was he supposed to do..?

"But...won't your friends be opposed to my stay?" He asked instead of an answer.

"They'll come around," Link insisted.

"Why did you kill Demise?" Ghirahim murmured. He had a vague idea, but he needed to _know._

Link's brows shot up at the question, surprised by the sudden topic change, before his features smoothed out once more.

"He had Zelda. I couldn't just let him go; she's my best friend. And Demise was certainly set on killing me when I stepped into his weird battle area. Kill or be killed, y'know." Link replied, his tone somewhat grave. "But I'm sorry. I know you cared for him and I can never imagine what losing him would feel like. I can just hope that you can care for me even a fraction of that amount. But I won't force you into this if you don't want to, okay?"

Ghirahim mulled over the blonde's words. He sounded sincere, and the demon could definitely understand where he was coming from, having to save his best friend. Ghirahim had been dead-set on resurrecting his master for years. As Link had said, it was kill or be killed, and the sword spirit didn't hesitate to kill those in his way before they killed him. Except for the Skychild. He was special. He didn't show any fear, only determination to get his friend back. He could respect that. Even with lacking sword skills, Link never gave up. But he was right in saying that he would never understand. He never lost the Spirit Maiden. Ghirahim lost his master. And yet, the boy seemed to know more about the demon than he thought. Perhaps it was that red string of fate tying them together once more.

Ghirahim couldn't say that he would be able to get over the death of his master, but with Link it seemed to be just a touch easier to handle. The hero didn't try to understand what he couldn't possibly fathom, but was still sympathetic. He didn't question his reasons for it, judging him for decisions he made that he didn't agree with, just listened and offered support where he could. Ghirahim felt that he would be a good master. They might not get along however, but that was a risk he was willing to take.

Mind made up, the demon finally gave his answer. "Okay, I'll allow you to be my master." He held up a finger. "But, it will be like a test run. I will give you one month to prove that you can handle being my master."

The hero's eyes went wide. "Wait! You're actually going to accept?!"

"Did I stutter?"

A blush spread across Link's cheeks for being called out, but he quickly forgot his embarrassment and threw his arms in the air with a loud "WHOO!" and a grin on his face.

A sleep-grogged voice from behind the wood separator of the room called over with a hint of annoyance and a ruffle of blankets. Fledge.

"Keep it down, Link..! People are trying to sleep here..." The end was barely coherent as Fledge eased back into sleep.

The blonde whispered a quiet "oops" and that was all the noise the two dared to make until several moments later, not wanting to stir Link's roommate of sorts back into the waking world.

As soon as Ghirahim decided the coast was clear, he started chuckling. "You shouldn't have been so loud. Stupid." The sentence was fond, none of the barbs that would have made it an insult.

Link stuck his tongue out at the other before joining in on the quiet laughter. He started working on the demon's hands again and continued their conversation from before they were interrupted.

"So you accept? You'll become my sword?"

"Yes, Skychild. I will. And you can't take it back now," Ghirahim said. "You just have to promise that you'll treat me as good as my fabulous self deserves. And if I decide you're good enough, I'll keep you."

The blonde placed a hand on his heart and said with the utmost solemnity, "I promise, my lord."

They sat in silence with smiles as Ghirahim's hands were finished being cleaned and were rubbed down with red potion, skin already mending together slowly. The silence was only broken when Link got to the sword spirit's ear. It was a pretty nasty tear.

"I'm going to have scars, aren't I? Scars on my beautiful figure...!" Ghirahim made a pained expression that Link thought was him hurting the other, but was just the demon being dramatic like usual. "Will I never be able to wear my earrings again? What have I done?!" His fingers twisted and pulled at themselves in his worry.

"Calm down, you're overreacting," Link told him, cleaning dried blood from his ear and neck. "Red potions heal injuries without leaving scars; you're good. And you'll be able to wear your earrings again, but I am so not going around wading in that pond for the one you threw."

The demon had calmed immediately at being told that he wouldn't be marred permanently. "Fine. I'll get it myself, but first, be a dear and get me that hairbrush you promised. I can feel the knots..."

"Yes, yes." Link got up, holding the wet, bloodied rag in one hand while the other searched the wardrobe on the wall across from them. He returned with a simple, green-colored brush.

Ghirahim made a face, but took the offered item anyway. "More green..."

"You get what you get and you don't get upset," was the blonde's reply.

The demon lord sighed, but made do with what he had. A horribly green brush was better than no brush at all. He began to untangle the knots as Link resumed cleaning up his ear.

The blonde rubbed red potion on the injured area and sat back, with a satisfied nod as he saw the skin start weaving together again.

His attention was drawn by Ghirahim's blatant struggle. The demon was trying to part his hair, but the sheer amount of tangles stopped him from achieving it. Not to mention, Link didn't keep mirrors in his room.

"You need help?" he asked, ready to be declined.

"No," was the expected reply, lightning fast.

Ghirahim let out a frustrated noise, attempting to tug the brush through his hair a few more times before removing it and giving up. He sighed.

"Yes..." he said.

Link gave a smile before climbing behind the demon and grabbing the brush from his freshly healed hands.

"Don't pull," the demon warned.

"I'll try not to."

The blonde kept to his word of not pulling. He went slow and meticulously, more care put into this than most things he did. Occasionally, he had to run a damp rag through the dirtier and bloodier parts of the demon's hair.

It took a lot longer than a normal hair-brushing would take, but Ghirahim couldn't get himself to mind. Having the soothing motions of a brush in his hair, guided by a hand that wasn't his was pleasant. Not even the sticky locks that were stained with blood or dirt posed a problem. If the spirit was a cat, he would be purring.

He felt a cool weight on his left hand. Looking down, Ghirahim saw that another of Link's wet cloths had been placed there.

"For your makeup," the blonde explained.

"Why, thank you, Skychild," Ghirahim replied. He was getting rather sick of the now dry streaks of eyeshadow sticking to his cheeks.

As he cleaned up his facial appearance, the brush in Link's hand glided smoothly through his white hair. It was even more relaxing now and he certainly didn't complain when the hero repeated the action for a few more minutes before moving on.

Soon enough, the blonde had fixed the part in the demon's hair and said demon's makeup had been all cleaned up, the only exception being his lipstick which hadn't suffered that much smudging. Link had to admit that it was quite a strange sight to see Ghirahim without the purple around his eyes.

"So how're you gonna get your earring back?" Link asked once he put all the supplies away, sitting cross-legged back on his bed.

The sword spirit gave a smirk before saying, "Like this." He snapped his fingers with a casual air about him, and in an instant, that same blue diamond earring he had chucked in the pond was in his hand. He fidgeted with it with a proud look on his face. "See~?"

"Huh," Link said. "Forgot you could do that."

It was then, spurred on by the topic of retrieving items, that he remembered. He had a quest. He promised that lady that he would find her bracelet and return it to her by morning. But he left the Surface, completely forgetting about previous jobs and promises in turn to deal with his former enemy. He mentally cursed himself.

"Umm..." the hero rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I kinda forgot about finding this lady her bracelet today and I promised her, so could you...?"

The sword spirit shook his head, tsking. "Bad, Skychild. I suppose I'm becoming a bad influence already."

"It's the end of the world...!" Link flopped back on the bed.

"But I can get that bracelet for you, yes." It was the least Ghirahim could do. The blonde had helped with his hair after all. It was only fair that Link got something in return; besides his amazing company and stunning appearance (not even ruined makeup could detract from his naturally good looks).

The blonde gave a weak fist pump in celebration. He was starting to feel the tiredness seep through his bones and he really didn't want to deal with having to go back down to the Surface. He must've zoned out for a bit for soon, Ghirahim was dangling a brown, beaded, leather bracelet in front of his face.

Link gestured to his desk before rolling onto his side, yawning a bit. "Toss it there and get in here. I'll return it in the morning. For now, sleep." He patted the bed in front of him.

Hesitating only a little after placing the bracelet and earring on the desk, Ghirahim crawled to the designated spot and laid down, head tucked under Link's chin. _He's still warm,_ he thought. Arms instantly went around him, pulling him close.

Adrenaline was lost and the bed was too comfy, even without the blankets pulled up around them, and they started their trip into sleep. But before he was too far gone, Ghirahim lifted his head and placed a gentle peck on Link's cheek; another reward for the boy. Link was still conscious but too tired for his brain to fully comprehend, and a sleepy smile was his response. He probably had a lipstick stain on his cheek from the demon's makeup, but he didn't care. _I'm glad you picked me, Ghira..._

And like that, pressed close to each other, they fell asleep. The conflicts of the next day seemed years away and even though they'd have problems and things would be difficult, they'd work through it, following the rules be damned. They weren't ones for rules anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> So here's this 11k monster that I've insisted on writing, even though it was a nightmare. So much struggling went into this; more than anything else I've written. But I'm happy with the end result and I hope you all are too. Please let me know if I should increase the rating, I wasn't sure on it. Stay safe in these hard times, and I hope you all have a good day/night!


End file.
